Whole30 Journey... for real this time.

Let me preface this post by saying I am 100% aware that I have said I am doing Whole30 many times before, but this time is for real. This time I have no excuses. This time I am prepared (slightly dreading it) but ready for the journey. I am tired of having stomach aches all the time, I am tired of being tired, I am tired of inflammation in my hip, I am tired of random acne breakouts and I am tired of my excuses. I am so excited because my husband has decided to do it with me this time, so we are tag teaming it and it is so helpful! 

We went grocery shopping yesterday (easiest grocery trip ever)! Meat, vegetables, eggs, fruit and healthy fats. Done.

I will be documenting my Whole30 journey on this blog and give my honest opinions, feedback and difficulties. I will be honest throughout my journey and when I say I feel like crap I will truly mean I feel like crap! ;)

Today is Day 1. Today has been easy so far. Although it's only 10:30 in the morning... We woke up, worked out and had our first meal.

Meal 1:

Eggs cooked with ghee

Avocado

Bacon

Sauteed spinach

tea (unsweetened)

Water

There you have it ladies and gents. Our first meal and 2 more to come. If you are on the fence or have absolutely no desire to complete this plan I challenge you to change your mind and give it a try. I highly recommend reading the book because it helps you understand the reason/point of completing this program. 

Dreaming of Spring

When life gives you winter.... dream about spring. I have said it a thousand times and I'll say it again. This girl is not a fan of winter. As in, if winter were a real person we wouldn't be friends, acquaintances, Facebook friends, followers on Instagram. nothing. I would pretend it never existed. But... since winter is not a person and I have to deal with it I will just hide in my house and dream about spring. Spring style is just my cup of tea. Below are some of my spring inspirations and items I will be adding to my closet. 

I have been looking for the perfect denim shirt. I have one but the fit is a little too loose, I want one more structured. Even at the mall the other day I just couldn't find the perfect one. If you know of a good one, let me know! 

My boyfriend jeans I found at Amerian Eagle years ago, but go pretty much anywhere and you will find boyfriend jeans. Pair them with converse, like the picture below and it just screams spring to me!

I have a vest similar to the one below but am looking for a comfortable striped dress. I have one but it's a little short and probably inappropriate for anywhere other than the pool ;) I am a fan of this one at Old Navy- cute, comfortable and casual.

I am obsessed with the patterned shorts and simple tshirt. I am definitely on the hunt for some cute ones come spring! JCrew always has cute shorts, and come spring I know they'll have the perfect ones!

*Pictures courtesy of Pinterest

I hope this has inspired you to de-friend Winter and hop on the Spring Train! :) 

Gut health

Happy Wednesday!! Hope everyone is having a great week! I decided to give some healthful tips for anyone else who suffers with a yucky stomach. I have had stomach problems most of my life, I am always "that" person who can't eat normal foods when out with friends because of my stomach. I actually get severe anxiety when I see people eating cheesy/smothered burritos, or milkshakes or ice cream sundaes or anything else that would cause me hours in the bathroom....... TMI? 

I wanted to give a few helpful tips on what has helped me with my stomach, hoping that it will also help you!

1. Probiotics! Probiotics make a huge difference for me and is something I need to be more consistent with. They help regulate all the gut flora and keep things healthy in there. I'm not a scientist so that's about as "technical" as I get. Make sure you are getting a good/strong probiotic, I really do think it makes a difference. This is probably my favorite brand and I usually will buy these or these. I think either work great, for me honestly it just depends on which ones are on sale! ;) You can find these at WholeFoods, Vitamin Cottage or Sprouts. I know they make a huge difference for me, and whether you have stomach problems or not you should be taking a probiotic! (Again, I'm not a doctor so my statements are not FDA approved) ;)

2. EAT HEALTHY! This is pretty important and something I really struggle with doing on a consistent basis, but I know for me if I"m eating junk then more than likely I feel like junk. I'm a huge paleo fan and STILL want to complete a whole30.com! I mean, when there's donuts, cookies and chips right in front of me I doubt I'll grab the apple instead?! Just saying... 

But in all honestly, for me, staying away from grains, dairy and processed sugar makes a world of a difference for me. If you have never read this blog or heard of Whole30 I challenge you to check it out and give it a try. If you can complete it, you are stronger than me! Really, someday I'm going to do it! ;) No... seriously. 

3. Essential Oils. I am a HUGE obsessed, slightly borderline crazy essential oils fan. I love my essential oils! That's a post in itself, coming soon. I have used both DoTerra Essential Oils and Young Living. Right now, I'm currently using Young Living and I love them! Peppermint and DiGize are great oils for the stomach and I know help SO MUCH when I do actually have a stomach ache. Put in with water and drink or rub on your stomach and I swear it works. Don't knock it till you've tried it!! If you are interested let me know! I could talk to a wall about my essential oils, that's how much I love them! ;)

4. HYDRATE! For me keeping myself hydrated (with water) truly makes a world of a difference for me. If I am getting a stomach ache the pain truly is worse if I'm not hydrated. I have no science to back this up but I know from my own experience keeping myself hydrated every day helps my stomach a lot! 

I hope these were helpful tips for you as I know they've helped me! For those of you with stomach problems... I am right there with ya! You're not alone, we can tackle together!

HAPPY MARCH!!!

Is it just me or is everyone else sick of this cold/freezing/awful/hate it weather?! I've never been big into the snow/cold unless it's Christmas so sunshine and 70's can make an appearance any day now! I cannot believe it's already March 2nd?! Where does the time go? Oh, and if you've been reading this blog you know that I say that almost every time I post. Since the year is pretty much moving full speed ahead I decided to write down some of my March goals. 

1. Focus on my own life. With Facebook, instagram, twitter, vine, pinterest and all other forms of social media it is so easy to get caught up in everyone's life and their "best moments" that you lose sight of your own life. Or maybe that's just me ;) 

2. Choose to focus on the Lord and spend time in my Bible each day or morning.

3. Workout 4x/week (You'll here me say this all the time, but you'll be proud to know I've been sticking with it 3-4x/week!)

4. EAT HEALTHY. I mean, how many stomach aches do I need to get before I realize eating bad is just not my thing. I"m working on it.

5. Plan a get together 1x/week with friends. 

6. Have 2 couples over for dinner. 

7. Read a book. 

Ok, those are my March goals. Pretty attainable I would say. What are your goals this month?

Ramblings

Hey Everyone!! :) Happy Monday and umm HELLO gorgeous weather!? Seriously. I have officially decided to break up with winter until December 24th and then it can go away again December 26th. I am not a fan of cold, cloudy or snowy weather. Done. 

I can't say I've really been crazy busy over here but for some reason I haven't blogged since mid-January?! I am really going to try and get better at this. Below are just a couple of things that have made me pretty excited over here... aka shopping.

I got this tote from Urban Outfitters and I am absolutely IN.LOVE. It's reversible and really good quality! They have a ton of different colors, I chose the brown/purple. If you are in need of a good sized tote for work, school or life in general definitely go check these out! 

With my 2015 health kick and training for my 1/2 marathon, yep that's right people I'm actually sticking with a health goal I decided new workout gear is a must. I am that person running on the trail in a raggy (I don't even know if that's a word) and shorts that are too big... SOOO I decided to get some cute leggings and a tank to go with it. If you hurry into Nordstrom right now these are on sale and I'm obsessed.

I haven't got these yet but here a few more items on my "soon to buy" wish list!

Nordstrom.com

I've decided I need some cute lounge sneakers to just wear with an outfit or go on a walk. I don't always like wearing my running shoes just while running errands I feel like it wears them out quicker!

Speaking of running shoes, I need some new ones. I honestly go for style and then comfort (I know so lame) so these are some I have my eye on...

I am a big fan of Asics and have been wearing them religiously for the past 8 years. Here are my favorites and can be found at Runners Roost

Gel Kayano 21

GT 2000-3

Soon I will have a recap on my recent getaway to Chicago with the hubs! 

Hope y'all have a good week!

Running my teacher marathon

I've been a teacher for 5 weeks now and it feels like I've been running a 5 week marathon.

What an incredible month is has been!  I've never felt so much stress, anxiety, exhaustion and work with an equal amount of love, support, fun, and growth.  The "negative" feelings are less than the positive feelings, therefore I'm able to keep on running this marathon!  I've always heard what it was like to be a first year teacher and now I understand what everyone has been talking about.  But I'm not only "first year," I'm starting mid year which comes with the positives and negatives. 

My class is wonderful.  They have confirmed my love for children of all ages and abilities.  I have a diverse group (as does our whole school) and it makes day to day school life exciting, interesting and eye opening.  Each one of my kiddos has already taught me SO much after only 5 weeks, and I know by the last day of school my love for these sweet souls will have grown even more.  

The men and women I work with have been incredibly welcoming and helpful.  (No, I'm not just saying this because they might read this post, its true…you ALL are the best!!).  My first week I was flooded with support and continue to receive daily support in all fashions.  So, THANK YOU PE family, you've made this mid-year transition a great one.

Some funny moments so far:

• On day one I had a little lady rat on one of my boys and tell me that he wished he were older so that he could be my boyfriend.
• I've been called mom and grandma, yes grandma, about 100 times…which isn't unusual as a teacher, but after they asked if I was a teenager, I thought MOM wouldn't happen so soon let alone GRANDMA.  
• My students have an idea of how much time I've been spending in my classroom on the weekends and before school, they suggested I buy a small mattress to keep under my desk so I can just sleep there.
• …then they went on to discuss a good place for me to keep my clothes and food.  But then became really concerned when they realized I might not have a place to shower or wash my clothes.  I'm glad they care about hygiene!
• I gave them the "you don't want to see Grumpy Ms. Fanelli lecture," and then I was asked if I would turn into Grumpy Cat if I became Grumpy.
• My kiddos asked me about Nick one day and wanted to know what he looks like.  Then one kiddo admitted to knowing what he looks like.  I asked her how, and she said her mom looked me up on Facebook.  I guess I should have figured the FB snooping would start immediately. Yikes.

Kids say the darnedest things, and they make life so fun!  

It feels incredible to finally apply my studies and begin my career.  It's also so comforting to know that every day is a new day and every day is a learning experience not just for the kids, but for me too.  I love going in to school every day and I cherish my personal time more than ever.  I hope this mid year experience prepares me for an successful 2015-2016 school year.

Until next time… (which could be another 5 weeks, if I'm still running this marathon!)

-Ms. Fanelli ;o)

Health & Fitness 2015

Wow! Can you believe we're almost 1/2 way through January already?! Time goes so fast I can barely keep up!! The first half of January was a little rough... never say "Oh, we haven't gotten sick in so long..." Because before the words can leave your mouth you will inevitably get sick. Both me and my husband got the dreaded flu and it was awful. Like truly awful. But... back on the mend and I am ready to tackle my 2015 goals. I'm not gonna lie, I have really thought long and hard about this post because I 1. Have a tendency to go wayyy overboard and then fail to meet my goals and then feel defeated 2. I do not want to obsess over health/fitness this year but incorporate a balance in my life 3. I was feeling lazy. Don't judge.

Ok, now that I have confessed my blogging dilemmas I am here to spell out my 2015 health & fitness goals and hope you join me! :)

(All pictures from Pinterest)

1. Remember that obsession is bad one way or the other. This is key for me this year because I tend to be the typical girl who will OBSESS over every single bite, every single workout and to me that is the complete opposite of healthy. BALANCE is my #1 goal this year. It's ok to eat a piece of cake and it's also ok to strive for a fitness goal. Everything in moderation.

2. Run a 1/2 marathon. I have only done one and I swore I would never do it again. But, here I am a glutton for punishment. I miss having a fitness goal, something to strive and train for. Without a goal I tend to slack on my workouts. So, here I am vowing to run a 1/2 marathon this year. I mean... I have 11 more months, I'm sure I can find the time ;)

3. Complete Whole30. Now, for those who know me are probably laughing at this right now because I have honest to goodness started and stopped whole30 at least 4 times. hahaha. But... I am vowing to myself to complete once because... well gosh darn so many people have done it so why can't I!?! I want to complete it for health purposes. Reset my body and also to feel the accomplishment. When I will start... not sure? But I will and I will update you on my progress.

Honestly, that's it. Those are my 3 goals and I feel good about them. I could sit here and say I'm going to not eat sweets, workout 5x/week, stay away from chips but in all honestly that would last all of about 3 days. Not even. I don't want to put restrictions on myself because that feeds into the mentality  of obsession. 

What are your 2015 health & fitness goals??